Fabric abrading tester



July 8, 1947.

R. HOOD 2,423,704

FABRIC ABRADING TESTER Filed Jan. 19, 1945 INVENTOR ATTORN EY PatentedJuly 8, 1947 Search UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE American CyanamidCompany,

New York,

N. Y., a corporation of Maine Application January 19, 1945, Serial No.573,530

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an automatic cut-off device fordetermining the resistance of textile fabrics to abrasion.

There is on the market today a fabric abrasion tester in which acircular sample of the fabric undergoing test is clamped onto amotor-driven turntable and the sample rotated beneath a pair ofrubber-tired abrading rollers resting thereon. The axes of the tworollers are arranged to one side of the center of the rotating turntableso that as the fabric is rotated beneath the rollers, the latter producea scraping, abrading action on the fabric. A counting mechanism isprovided so that the number of rotations of the fabric on the turntableoccurring before the desired degree of abrasion takes place may beobserved. In the operation of this instrument the operator must closelyobserve the fabric and shut off the machine upon failure of the former.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an automaticcut-off for devices of this character which will not require constantvisual observance by the operator, but on the other hand willautomatically terminate the test. Such an improvement is of decidedadvantage in this art in that the human element is eliminated, thustending to make tests more uniform and in addition releases manpower forother useful work, as a single operator may have several such tests inprogress simultaneously, not possible heretofore.

The invention contemplates, therefore, an instrument of the typedescribed in combination with a hook element lightly resting upon thesample of fabric undergoing test, and so arranged that upon failure ofthe fabric under the action of the abrading roller, which failuremanifests itself by a hole formed in the fabric, the hook will catchtherein and further rotation of the turntable will cause the hook totrip a switch which interrupts the current to the turntable motor.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of the com bination of the presentinvention, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic layout showing the essential elements and thewiring diagram used to interrupt the current to the motor.

Referring now with particularity to the drawings, the abradinginstrument is shown to include a housing I. within which is located anelectric motor (not shown) but which is indicated at 2 in Fig. 2. Thismotor is arranged to rotate a turntable 3 in sa a counter-clockwisedirection and at any desired speed.

2 Mounted upon the turntable is a sample 4 of the textile fabricundergoing test, which is securely held by means of a peripheraltwo-piece clamp 5 and 6, secured together as by a pair of nuts I, onlyone of which is shown. The sample is secured to the turntable at thecenter portion thereof by means of a disc 8 and a knurled thumbscrew 9.

Also secured to the casing l in bearings I0, is a weighted arm II whichmay oscillate about trunnions I2.

The arm II is provided with a pair of rubbertired rollers 13 and I4,each of which has an independent stub axle l5 and I6, secured to thearm. The axes of the axles l5 and iii are in alignment and to one sideof the axis of rotation of the turntable 3.

Thus a sample of material undergoing test being clamped to the turntableand the motor started, the Weight of the arm II will cause therubher-tired rollers l3 and H to bear upon the sample and be driventhereby in opposite directions with a scraping, abrading action. Acounting mechanism I1 is built into the machine so as to record therotations of the turntable required to produce failure in the sampleundergoing test.

An automatic cut-off mechanism is provided which includes a hook 18 ofwire or other suitable material resting upon the surface of the fabricundergoing test and so arranged as to catch in any hole or tear producedin the fabric by the abrading rollers upon failure of the fabric. Thishook is secured in a spindle l9 pivoted as at 20 to the upper end of arm2 I.

Upon failure of the fabric, the hook l8 catches into a tear or holetherein and further rotation of the turntable pulls the spindle 19 tothe right (Fig. 2) thus actuating a micro-switch 22, which, throughsuitable electrical connections, operates a release 23, which opens theline supplying current to the motor 2, thus stopping progress of thetest automatically. Through suitable mecha nism, the motor may not bestarted again until the button 24 is pressed, which operates relay 25 tore-set the relay 23.

Upon completion of a test and where it is desired to replace the fabricwhich has failed with another fresh specimen, the spindle 19 may beraised about its pivot 20 to facilitate changing of the specimen.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference toparticular embodiments, yet it is not to be limited thereto but is to berestricted only by the scope of the claim.

What is claimed is:

In a fabric abrading machine having a tumtable adapted to receive asample of fabric to be tested, an electric motor for driving the same,means to supply current thereto, an abrading roller having a frictionsurface adapted to rest on the sample of fabric to one side of theturntable center and be driven thereby, the improvement which includes acircuit interrupting device for the motor and a hook connectedtherewith, the hook being adapted to rest on the surface of the fabricbeing tested so that upon failure of the fabric under the action of theabrading roller, the hook will catch in the fabric and further movementof the turntable will, through the REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,091,467 Carhart Aug. 31, 19372,287,148 Taber June 23, 1942 2,189,589 Mahannah et a1. Feb. 6, 1940

